Thursday
Apr072011
Thu, April 7, 2011 | by Lisa Barger Organic Food Sales Rise In U.S.
Sales of organic food rose slightly here in the U.S., despite falling in much of Europe and the UK This is according to new reports from Britain’s Soil Association and the U.S.-based Nutrition Business Journal.
In Britain, sales of organic foods continued their 2-year fall, dropping nearly 13% in 2009 and nearly another 6% last year. Nagging economic concerns are blamed for the waning interest in “natural” and organic foods. The only bright spots were organic beef and organic baby foods; sales in those areas grew 18 and 10 percent last year.
In the U.S., news of an economic recovery helped re-kindle interest in organic foods. Organic produce did especially well—growing almost 12% last year.
The Organic Trade Association, or OTA, seems especially optimistic. Their latest survey says that growth in the organic sector has dramatically outpaced growth in the “regular” food market. The organic market grew 8% in 2010 while the rest of the food industry grew only 1%. The OTA also estimates that 75% of organic farms will maintain or increase their current levels of production in the next 5 years and 96% of those farms say they’ll hire more workers in 2011, too.
Currently in the U.S. and estimated 14,540 organic farms and ranches are distributed throughout all 50 states. They account for more than 14 million acres of agricultural land.
Source:
Soil Association. (2011). Organic Market Report 2011. Accessible at soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ZnJ54dF4kfw%3d&tabid=548.
Organic Trade Association. (2011). Vilsack: Organic is part of the strategy to rebuild rural America. (PRESS RELEASE). Accessible at organicnewsroom.com/2011/04/post_4.html.
In Britain, sales of organic foods continued their 2-year fall, dropping nearly 13% in 2009 and nearly another 6% last year. Nagging economic concerns are blamed for the waning interest in “natural” and organic foods. The only bright spots were organic beef and organic baby foods; sales in those areas grew 18 and 10 percent last year.
In the U.S., news of an economic recovery helped re-kindle interest in organic foods. Organic produce did especially well—growing almost 12% last year.
The Organic Trade Association, or OTA, seems especially optimistic. Their latest survey says that growth in the organic sector has dramatically outpaced growth in the “regular” food market. The organic market grew 8% in 2010 while the rest of the food industry grew only 1%. The OTA also estimates that 75% of organic farms will maintain or increase their current levels of production in the next 5 years and 96% of those farms say they’ll hire more workers in 2011, too.
Currently in the U.S. and estimated 14,540 organic farms and ranches are distributed throughout all 50 states. They account for more than 14 million acres of agricultural land.
Source:
Soil Association. (2011). Organic Market Report 2011. Accessible at soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ZnJ54dF4kfw%3d&tabid=548.
Organic Trade Association. (2011). Vilsack: Organic is part of the strategy to rebuild rural America. (PRESS RELEASE). Accessible at organicnewsroom.com/2011/04/post_4.html.
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